Lighting system for indoor grow application and lighting fixtures thereof

ABSTRACT

A light fixture for an indoor grow facility is provided. The light fixture includes a plurality of LED lights, a controller, a digital communication module, and an analog communication module. The controller is in signal communication with the plurality of LED lights. The digital communication module receives a digital control signal. The analog communication module receives an analog control signal simultaneously with the digital control signal. The controller is configured to select between either the digital control signal or the analog control signal for controlling the plurality of LED lights.

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.17/536,653, entitled Lighting System for Indoor Grow Application andLighting Fixtures Thereof, filed Nov. 29, 2021 which claims priority ofU.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 63/118,985, entitledLighting System for Indoor Grow Application and Lighting FixturesThereof, filed Nov. 30, 2020, and hereby incorporates these patentapplications by reference herein in their respective entireties.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The apparatus described below generally relates to a lighting system foran indoor grow application. The lighting system includes a plurality oflight fixtures that communicate with a remote controller.

BACKGROUND

Indoor grow facilities, such as greenhouses, include light fixtures thatprovide artificial lighting to plants for encouraging growth. Theselight fixtures typically include a plurality of LEDs that are controlledin zones by a remote controller.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various embodiments will become better understood with regard to thefollowing description, appended claims and accompanying drawingswherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view depicting a lighting system that includes aplurality of primary light fixtures and a plurality of secondary lightfixtures, in accordance with one embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view depicting one of the primary light fixturesand certain ones of the secondary light fixtures of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an upper isometric view depicting a light fixture, inaccordance with one embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a lower isometric view of the light fixture of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a partially exploded upper isometric view of the light fixtureof FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a schematic view depicting a lighting system that includes amain controller and a plurality of light fixtures, in accordance withanother embodiment; and

FIG. 7 is a schematic view depicting a light fixture in accordance withanother embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments are hereinafter described in detail in connection with theviews and examples of FIGS. 1-7, wherein like numbers indicate the sameor corresponding elements throughout the views. A lighting system 10 foran indoor grow facility (e.g., a greenhouse) is generally depicted inFIG. 1 and is shown to include a main controller (e.g., automatedgreenhouse controller) 12 and a plurality of primary light fixtures 14in signal communication with the main controller 12. Each of the primarylight fixtures 14 can be in signal communication with a plurality ofsecondary light fixtures 16. The primary light fixtures 14 and thesecondary light fixtures 16 can be arranged within an indoor growfacility and controlled by the main controller 12 to generate artificiallight for stimulating growth of plants and/or other vegetation providedin the indoor grow facility. The primary light fixtures 14 and thesecondary light fixtures 16 can comprise LED-light fixtures, non-LEDlight fixtures (e.g., HID lights or xenon lights) or some combinationthereof.

Each primary light fixture 14 and the secondary light fixtures 16connected thereto (e.g., the “connected secondary light fixtures 16”)can define respective lighting zones (Z1, Z2 . . . Zn). Each lightingzone (Z1, Z2 . . . Zn) can represent a different physical lightinglocation within an indoor grow facility. In one embodiment, the lightfixtures 14, 16 in each zone (Z1, Z2 . . . Zn) can be physicallyseparated from the light fixtures 14, 16 of the other zones such thateach zone is responsible for lighting different physical locationswithin the indoor grow facility. In another embodiment, the lightfixtures 14, 16 of one zone (Z1, Z2 . . . Zn) can be intermingled withthe light fixtures 14, 16 of other zones such that two or more of thezones cooperate with each other to light the same physical locationwithin the indoor grow facility.

As will be described in further detail below, the main controller 12 cantransmit an original control signal to each of the primary lightfixtures 14 to control the dimming (e.g., lighting intensity) of thelight fixtures 14, 16 on a zone-by-zone basis. Referring now to FIG. 2,the light fixtures 14, 16 of zone Z1 are illustrated and can beunderstood to be representative of the light fixtures 14, 16 in theother zones. The primary light fixture 14 can include a controller 18,an LED driver circuit 20 in communication with the controller 18, andLED lights 22 that are electrically coupled with the LED driver circuit20. The controller 18 can include a conversion module 24 and can becommunicatively coupled with the main controller 12 via a communicationcable 26 which can facilitate routing of the original control signal tothe controller 18.

Each of the secondary light fixtures 16 can include a controller 28, anLED driver circuit 30 in communication with the controller 28, and LEDlights 32. Each of the controllers 28 can include an analogcommunication module 34 and a digital communication module 36. Thesecondary light fixtures 16 can be communicatively coupled with eachother and with the main controller 12 by a plurality of communicationcables 38. Each communication cable 38 can comprise an analog signalline 40, a digital transmit signal line 42, and a digital receive signalline 44. The analog communication modules 34 of each of the secondarylight fixtures 16 can be communicatively coupled together in series withthe conversion module 24 via the analog signal lines 40. The digitalcommunication modules 36 of each of the secondary light fixtures 16 canbe communicatively daisy chained together with the conversion module 24via the digital transmit signal lines 42. The digital receive signallines 44 can provide a return communication path for the transmission ofdata (such as from the light fixtures 14, 16 to the main controller 12).It is to be appreciated that the communication cables 38 can interfacewith communication ports (not shown) that are provided on each of theprimary and secondary light fixtures 14, 16. In one embodiment, thecommunication cables 26, 38 can comprise Category 6 (Cat-6) cables. Itis also to be appreciated that the series connections between the analogcommunication modules 34 and the daisy chained connections between thedigital communication modules 36 can be achieved via internal wiringwithin in the secondary light fixtures 16.

The original control signal can be transmitted from the main controller12 to the primary light fixture 14 to facilitate control of the lightingintensity of the LED lights 22, 32. The original control signal can berouted to the controller 18 of the primary light fixture 14 which cancontrol the LED lights 22 to achieve the intensity requested by theoriginal control signal. The original control signal can also be routedto the conversion module 24 which can simultaneously generate an analogversion of the original control signal (e.g., a secondary analog controlsignal) and a digital version of the original control signal (e.g., asecondary digital control signal) that are both capable of controllingthe LED lights 32 of the secondary light fixtures 16 to achieve theintensity requested by the original control signal.

The secondary analog control signal can be transmitted from theconversion module 24 to each of the analog communication modules 34along the analog signal lines 40 of the communication cables 38. Eachanalog communication module 34 can be configured to facilitate controlof the LED lights 32 associated thereto to achieve the intensityrequested by the secondary analog control signal. Each of the analogcommunication modules 34 can be configured to amplify the analog versionof the control signal to compensate for any degradation that may occurduring transmission to each of the secondary light fixtures 16.

The secondary digital control signal can be transmitted from theconversion module 24 to each of the digital communication modules 36along the digital transmit signal lines 42 of the communication cables38. Each digital communication module 36 can be configured to facilitatecontrol of the LED lights 32 associated therewith to achieve theintensity requested by the secondary digital control signal. Due to thenature of the transmission of the secondary digital control signal alongthe digital transmit signal lines 42 and the daisy chained connectionbetween the digital communication modules 36, the digital controlsignals might not require amplification to reach each of the secondarylight fixtures 16. In one embodiment, each of the secondary lightfixtures 16 can have a unique address (e.g., an IP address). In such anembodiment, the secondary digital control signal can include uniqueinstructions (e.g., packets) for the LED lights 32 that enable theintensity of each of the LED lights 32 of the secondary light fixture 16in a particular zone to be independently controlled.

The secondary analog control signal and the secondary digital controlsignal can be transmitted to each of the secondary light fixtures 16 toprovide redundancy for the secondary light fixtures 16. If thetransmission of either of the secondary analog control signal or thesecondary digital control signal is somehow interrupted (e.g., due tofailure of an internal component, external signal interference, orfailure of one of the analog signal lines 40 or the digital transmitsignal lines 42), the controller 28 can use the other secondary controlsignal to operate the secondary light fixtures 16, thereby maintainingthe overall integrity of the lighting system 10 until the communicationsystem can be repaired. In one embodiment, the secondary digital controlsignal can be the primary mode for controlling the secondary lightfixtures 16. In such an embodiment, when both of the secondary digitalcontrol signal and the secondary analog control signal are present atthe secondary light fixtures 16, the secondary digital control signalcan control the intensity of the LED lights 32. However, if thesecondary digital control signal is somehow interrupted for one or moreof the secondary light fixtures 16, the secondary analog control signalcan then control the intensity of the LED lights 32 that are no longerable to receive the secondary digital control signal.

The original control signal can comprise either an analog signal (e.g.,0-10 VDC, 0-20 VDC, 4-20 mA, 0-20 mA) or a digital signal (e.g., RS-485,ModBus, BacNET, CamNET, ASCII) depending upon the configuration of themain controller 12. The controller 18 can be configured to detectwhether the original control signal is an analog signal or a digitalsignal. If the original control signal is an analog signal, thecontroller 18 can generate the secondary analog control signal bypresenting the original control signal as the secondary analog controlsignal, and the conversion module 24 can generate the secondary digitalcontrol signal by converting the original control signal from an analogsignal into a digital signal. If the original control signal is adigital signal, the controller 18 can generate the secondary digitalcontrol signal by presenting the original control signal as thesecondary digital control signal, and the conversion module 24 cangenerate the secondary analog control signal by converting the originalcontrol signal from a digital signal into an analog signal. In oneembodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 2, the conversion module 24 of theprimary light fixture 14 can include an analog to digital converter(ADC) 46 and a digital to analog converter (DAC) 48. The ADC 46 canfacilitate conversion of the original control signal from an analogsignal into digital signal. The DAC 48 can facilitate conversion of theoriginal control signal from a digital signal into an analog signal.When the original control signal is converted from a digital signal intoan analog signal, the digital information transmitted by the digitalsignal (i.e., addressing information) can be lost.

In one embodiment, the original control signal generated by the maincontroller 12 can be an LED-compatible signal that is capable ofdirectly controlling the intensity of the LED lights 22, 32. In such anembodiment, the controller 18 can be configured to detect whether theoriginal control signal is a compatible signal. In another embodiment,the original control signal generated by the main controller 12 can bean incompatible signal that is not capable of directly controlling theintensity of the LED lights 22, 32 (e.g., when the light fixtures 14, 16are LED light fixtures and are retrofit onto a main controller that isonly compatible with non-LED type lights such as HID lights). Thecontroller 18 can be configured to detect whether the original controlsignal is compatible or incompatible with the light fixtures 14, 16.

If the controller 18 determines that the original control signal iscompatible with the light fixtures 14, 16, the original control signalcan be passed directly through to the light fixtures 14, 16 forpresentation as either the secondary analog control signal or thesecondary digital control signal (depending upon whether the originalcontrol signal is an analog signal or a digital signal). For example,when the original control signal is an analog signal and is determinedto be compatible with the light fixtures 14, 16, the controller 18 canpass the original control signal directly through for presentation tothe light fixtures 14, 16 as the secondary analog control signal (e.g.,along the analog signal lines 40). When the original control signal is adigital signal and is determined to be compatible with the lightfixtures 14, 16, the controller 18 can pass the original control signaldirectly through for presentation to the light fixtures 14, 16 as thesecondary digital control signal (e.g., along the digital transmitsignal lines 42).

If the controller 18 determines that the original control signal is notcompatible with the light fixtures 14, 16, and thus incapable ofdirectly controlling the light fixtures 14, 16, the controller 18 can beconfigured to convert (e.g., translate) the original control signal intoan LED-compatible control signal for use in generating the secondaryanalog and digital control signals. The relationship between thenon-compatible original control signal transmitted by the maincontroller 12 and the LED-compatible control signal transmitted by thecontroller 18 can be a function of the respective signal protocolsutilized by each of the main controller 12 and the light fixtures 14,16. For example, the main controller 12 might conform to a HID/xenonprotocol that generates a 1-10 VDC analog signal for varying the dimmingof an associated HID/xenon light between 0% intensity and 100%intensity. The light fixtures 14, 16, however, might require a 1-8 VDCanalog signal. In such an example, the controller 18 can be configuredto generate a 1-8 VDC LED-compatible control signal based upon thedimming intensity requested by the original control signal from the maincontroller 12.

Various examples of the generation of the secondary analog and digitalcontrol signals from the original control signal will now be described.For purposes of these examples, the secondary analog control signal cancomprise a 0-10 VDC analog signal and the secondary digital controlsignal can comprise an RS-485 signal that each facilitate control of thedimming of the light fixtures 14, 16 between 0% intensity and 100%intensity in order to achieve the intensity requested by the originalcontrol signal. In the first example, the original control signal can bea compatible analog signal. When the original control signal istransmitted to the controller 18, the controller 18 can route theoriginal control signal directly to the secondary light fixtures 16 asthe secondary analog control signal. The controller 18 can also convertthe original control signal from an analog signal into the secondarydigital control signal (via the ADC 46) which is then routed to thesecondary light fixtures 16. In the second example, the original controlsignal can be a compatible digital signal. When the original controlsignal is transmitted to the controller 18, the controller 18 can routethe original control signal directly to the secondary light fixtures 16as the secondary digital control signal. Any instructions (or otherdata) provided by the original control signal are able to be passedthrough to the secondary light fixtures 16 via the secondary digitalcontrol signal. The controller 18 can also convert the original controlsignal from a digital signal into the secondary analog control signal(via the DAC 48) which is then routed to the secondary light fixtures16. In the third example, the original control signal can be an analogsignal that is not compatible with the light fixtures 14, 16. When theoriginal control signal is transmitted to the controller 18, thecontroller 18 can convert the original control signal into anLED-compatible analog control signal which is routed to the secondarylight fixtures 16 as the secondary analog control signal. The controller18 can also convert the LED-compatible analog control signal from ananalog signal into the secondary digital control signal (via the ADC 46)which is then routed to the secondary light fixtures 16. In the fourthexample, the original control signal can be a digital signal that is notcompatible with the light fixtures 14, 16. When the original controlsignal is transmitted to the controller 18, the controller 18 canconvert the original control signal into an LED-compatible digitalcontrol signal which is routed to the secondary light fixtures 16 as thesecondary digital control signal. Any instructions (or other data)provided by the non-compatible original control signal can also beprovided to the secondary light fixtures 16 via the secondary digitalcontrol signal. The controller 18 can also convert the LED-compatibledigital control signal from a digital signal into the secondary analogcontrol signal (via the DAC 48) which is then routed to the secondarylight fixtures 16.

It is to be appreciated that although the main controller 12 isdescribed as being configured to control dimming of the light fixtures14, 16 with the original control signal, the main controller 12 cancontrol any of a variety of other suitable operating characteristics(e.g., scheduling and/or color mixing) with the original control signalaccording to the principles and details described above. It is also tobe appreciated that although three secondary light fixtures are shown,any quantity of secondary light fixtures can be networked with eachprimary light fixture 14. In one embodiment, the primary light fixture14 can be configured to communicate with up to 2,000 secondary lightfixtures 16.

One example of a universal light fixture 50 (hereinafter “lightfixture”) is generally depicted in FIGS. 3-5 and can include a housing52, first and second lighting modules 54, 56 (FIG. 4), and a hangerassembly 58. The housing 52 can include a light support portion 60 and acontroller support portion 62 adjacent to the light support portion 60.The light support portion 60 can define a lighting receptacle 64 (FIG.3) and a window 66 (FIG. 4) disposed beneath the lighting receptacle 64.The first and second lighting modules 54, 56 (FIG. 2) can be disposedwithin the lighting receptacle 64 above the window 66 and can beconfigured to emit light through the window 66, as will be described infurther detail below.

As illustrated in FIG. 5, the housing 52 can include a main frame 72 anda cover member 74 that overlies the main frame 72 and is coupledtogether with the main frame 72 via welding, adhesives, releasable tabs(not shown), fasteners (not shown), or any of a variety of suitablealternative permanent or releasable fastening arrangements. The mainframe 72 can include a bottom lighting wall 76 that defines the window66. As illustrated in FIG. 5, the main frame 72 can include a bottomcontroller wall 78, and a plurality of sidewalls 80 that cooperate todefine a controller receptacle 82. The cover member 74 can include a lidportion 84 that overlies and covers the controller receptacle 82, asillustrated in FIG. 5. The bottom controller wall 78, the sidewalls 80,and the lid portion 84 can form at least part of the controller supportportion 62 of the housing 52.

Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 5, a heat sink 90 can be disposed over eachof the first and second lighting modules 54, 56 and can be configured todissipate heat away from the first and second lighting modules 54, 56.Referring now to FIG. 5, a controller 92 can be disposed in thecontroller receptacle 82 and can be configured to power and control thefirst and second lighting modules 54, 56 according to the principles andmethods described herein. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the lid portion 84of the cover member 74 can overlie the controller receptacle 82 and thecontroller 92. The lid portion 84 can serve as a heat sink for thecontroller 92 to facilitate dissipation of heat from the controller 92.

FIG. 6 illustrates an alternative embodiment of a lighting system 110for an indoor grow facility (e.g., a greenhouse), that is similar to, orthe same in many respects as the lighting system 10 illustrated in FIG.1 above. For example, the lighting system 110 can include a maincontroller 112 and a plurality of light fixtures 116 in signalcommunication with the main controller 112. The plurality of lightfixtures 116 can define an individual lighting zone (e.g., Z1, Z2 . . .Zn shown in FIG. 1).

Each of the light fixtures 116 can be similar to, or the same in manyrespects as, the secondary light fixtures 16 illustrated in FIG. 2. Forexample, each of the light fixtures 116 can include a controller 128, anLED driver circuit 130 in signal communication with the controller 128,and LED lights 132 that are electrically coupled with, and powered by,the LED driver circuit 130 (e.g., via PWM signal or a 1-9 VDC signal).The controller 128 can be configured to transmit a driver signal (e.g.,a 0-10 VDC signal) to the LED driver circuit for controlling operationof the plurality of LED lights 132. The controller 128 can include ananalog communication module 134 and a digital communication module 136.The analog and digital communication modules 134, 136 can be configuredto simultaneously receive an analog control signal and a digital controlsignal, respectively, from an upstream source (e.g., the main controller112 or one of the light fixtures 116, depending on the position of thelight fixture 116 relative to the main controller 112) and transmit theanalog control signal and the digital control signal, respectively, to adownstream electronic device (e.g., an adjacent one of the lightfixtures 116) to facilitate simultaneous analog and digitalcommunication, respectively, between the main controller 112 and thelight fixtures 116, as will be described in further detail below.

The main controller 112 can be configured to communicate with the lightfixtures 116 via simultaneous analog and digital control signals (e.g.,dual mode communication) to control the dimming (e.g., lightingintensity) of the light fixtures 116. The main controller 112 caninclude an analog communication module 113 and a digital communicationmodule 115 that are responsible for communicating with the lightfixtures 116 via the analog control signal and the digital controlsignal, respectively. The analog and digital communication modules 113,115 can be communicatively coupled with the analog and digitalcommunication modules 134, 136, respectively, of a first one of theplurality of light fixtures 116 via a communication cable 137 thatincludes an analog signal line 139, a digital transmit signal line 141,and a digital receive signal line 143. The analog and digitalcommunication modules 134, 136 of the light fixtures 116 can becommunicatively coupled with each other via a plurality of communicationcables 138 that each include an analog signal line 140, a digitaltransmit signal line 142, and a digital receive signal line 144.

The analog communication modules 134 of the light fixtures 116 can becommunicatively coupled together in series via the analog signal lines140 and with the analog communication module 113 of the main controller112 via the analog signal line 139. The analog signal lines 139, 140 cancooperate to define an analog bus for the main controller 112 and thelight fixtures 116. The digital communication modules 136 of the lightfixtures 116 can be communicatively daisy chained together (e.g., inparallel) via the digital transmit and receive signal lines 142, 144 andwith the digital communication module 115 of the main controller 112 viathe digital transmit and receive signal lines 141, 143. The digitaltransmit signal lines 142 can provide a transmission path for thetransmission of data from the main controller 112 to the light fixtures116 and the digital receive signal lines 144 can provide a return pathfor the transmission of data from the light fixtures 116 to the maincontroller 112 such that the digital transmit and receive signal lines142, 144 cooperate to facilitate bi-directional communication betweenthe main controller 112 and the light fixtures 116. The digital transmitand receive signal lines 141, 143 and the digital transmit and receivesignal lines 142, 144 can cooperate to define a digital bus for the maincontroller 112 and the light fixtures 116. It is to be appreciated thatthe communication cables 137, 138 can interface with communication ports(not shown) that are provided on the main controller 112 and the lightfixtures 116. In one embodiment, the communication cables 137, 138 cancomprise Category 6 (Cat-6) cables. It is to be appreciated that theseries connections between the analog communication modules 113, 134 andthe daisy chained connections between the digital communication modules115, 136 can be achieved via internal wiring within the light fixtures116.

The main controller 112 can simultaneously generate the analog controlsignal and the digital control signal via the analog communicationmodule 113 and the digital communication module 115, respectively. Eachof the analog control signal and the digital control signal can becapable of controlling the LED lights 132 of the light fixtures 116independently of one another. The analog control signal and the digitalcontrol signal can include the same instructions for controlling the LEDlights 132 but in a different format (e.g., in an analog format and adigital format, respectively) such that both signals facilitatesubstantially the same response from the LED lights 132. In oneembodiment, the analog control signal and the digital control signal caninclude instructions that control the intensity of the LED lights 132.The instructions of the analog control signal can be in the form of avoltage level (e.g., 0-10 VDC) such that higher the voltage level of theanalog signal, the greater the intensity of the LED lights 132. Theinstructions of the digital control signal can be in the form of one ormore data packets (or other data forms) that instruct the controller 128to control the intensity of the LED lights 132 to substantially the sameintensity as instructed by the analog signal. It is to be appreciatedthat the instructions from the analog and digital control signals cancontrol any of a variety of other features of the light fixtures 116.

The analog control signal can be transmitted from the analogcommunication module 113 and to each of the analog communication modules134 of the light fixtures 116 (e.g., along the analog bus). Each of theanalog communication modules 134 can be configured to amplify the analogcontrol signal to compensate for any degradation that may occur duringtransmission of the analog control signal to each of the light fixtures116.

The digital control signal can be transmitted from the digitalcommunication module 115 and to each of the digital communicationmodules 136 of the light fixtures 116 (e.g., along the digital bus). Dueto the nature of the transmission of the digital control signal alongthe digital bus and the daisy chained connection between the digitalcommunication modules 136, the digital control signal might not requireamplification to reach each of the light fixtures 116. In oneembodiment, each of the light fixtures 116 can have a unique address(e.g., an IP address). In such an embodiment, the digital control signalcan include unique instructions (e.g., packets) for the each of thelight fixtures 116 that allows the light intensity of the LED lights 132of each light fixture 116 to be controlled independently.

The analog control signal and the digital control signal can betransmitted to each of the light fixtures 116 simultaneously to provideredundancy for controlling the intensity of the LED lights 132 at eachof the light fixtures 116. In one embodiment, the digital control signalcan be the primary signal that is responsible for controlling theintensity of the LED lights 132 at each light fixture 116 and the analogcontrol signal can be the backup signal. In such an embodiment, whenboth of the digital control signal and the analog control signal arecapable of controlling the LED lights 132 (i.e., neither of the digitalcontrol signal and the analog control signal have failed), the digitalcontrol signal can be responsible for controlling the intensity of theLED lights 132. However, if the digital control signal has somehowfailed and is thus incapable of controlling the LED lights 132, theanalog control signal can then be used to control the intensity of theLED lights 132. As such, so long as the digital control signal iscapable of controlling the LED lights 132 and has not failed, theintensity of the LED lights 132 is controlled with the digital controlsignal and the analog control signal is ignored.

Each of the light fixtures 116 can operate independently from the otherlight fixtures when selecting which of the analog control signal and thedigital control signal to operate the LED lights 132 from. The detailsof the operation of one of the light fixtures 116 when selecting betweenthe analog control signal and the digital control signal for controllingthe intensity of the LED lights 132 will now be described, but can beunderstood to be representative of the rest of the light fixtures 116illustrated in FIG. 6. For purposes of this description, the digitalcontrol signal can be understood to be the primary control signal thatthe controller 128 uses to control the LED lights 132 and the analogcontrol signal can be considered the secondary or backup control signalthat the controller 128 uses only when the digital control signal hasfailed and is thus incapable of controlling the LED lights 132.

The light fixture 116 can only use one of the digital control signal orthe analog control signal at a given time for controlling the intensitylevel (e.g., the dimming intensity) of the LED lights 132, and thus isnot operable to control the LED lights 132 from both signalssimultaneously. When the digital control signal is selected to controlthe LED lights 132, the controller 128 can be configured to convert thedigital control signal into the driver signal which is then transmittedto the LED driver circuit 130 for controlling the LED lights 132. Whenthe analog control signal is selected to control the LED lights 132, thecontroller 128 can be configured to convert the analog control signalinto the driver signal which is then transmitted to the LED drivercircuit 130 for controlling the LED lights 132. The driver signal can beconverted into a format (e.g., a 0-10 VDC signal) that is able tocontrol the intensity of the LED lights 132 and includes the dimmingrequest provided by either the digital or analog control signals.

The controller 128 can select between the digital control signal and theanalog control signal depending on whether the digital control signalhas failed or not. As such, the controller 128 can be configured todetermine whether a failure condition exists for the digital controlsignal. If a failure condition doesn't exist, then the controller 128can use the digital control signal to control the LED lights 132 (e.g.,by converting the digital control signal into the driver signal asdescribed above). If a failure condition exists for the digital controlsignal, then the controller 128 can use the analog control signalinstead to control the LED lights 132 (e.g., by converting the analogcontrol signal into the driver signal as described above).

A failure condition can be understood to be any inconsistency in thedigital control signal that would cause the signal to be ineffective toproperly control the LED lights 132. In one embodiment, the controller128 can determine whether a failure condition exists for the digitalcontrol signal as a function of the presence of the digital controlsignal at the digital communication module 136. In such an embodiment,if the controller 128 determines that the digital control signal ispresent at the digital communication module 136 (i.e., no failurecondition exists), then the controller 128 can use the digital controlsignal as the basis for the driver signal to control the LED lights 132.If the controller determines that the digital control signal is notpresent at the digital communication module 136 (i.e., a failurecondition exists), then the controller 128 can use the analog controlsignal as the basis for the driver signal to control the LED lights 132.In another embodiment, the controller 128 can determine whether afailure condition exists for the digital control signal as a function ofthe signal strength of the digital control signal at the digitalcommunication module 136. In such an embodiment, the controller 128 candetect the strength of the signal and compare to a predefined threshold.If the signal strength of the digital control signal is above apredefined threshold, such as 90%, for example (i.e., no failurecondition exists), then the digital control signal is strong enough andthe controller 128 can use the digital control signal as the basis forthe driver signal to control the LED lights 132. If the signal strengthof the digital control signal is below the predefined threshold (i.e., afailure condition exists), then the digital control signal is too weakand the controller 128 can use the analog control signal as the basisfor the driver signal to control the LED lights 132. In yet anotherembodiment, the controller 128 can determine whether a failure conditionexists for the digital control signal as a function of the integrity ofthe digital control signal at the digital communication module 136. Insuch an embodiment, the controller 128 can detect the error rate of thesignal and compare to a predefined threshold. If the error rate of thedigital control signal is below a predefined threshold, such as 1%, forexample (i.e., no failure condition exists), then the digital controlsignal is accurate enough and the controller 128 can use the digitalcontrol signal as the basis for the driver signal to control the LEDlights 132. If the error rate of the digital control signal is above thepredefined threshold (i.e., a failure condition exists), then thedigital control signal is too inaccurate and the controller 128 can usethe analog control signal as the basis for the driver signal to controlthe LED lights 132. It is to be appreciated that the controller 128 candetermine a failure condition based upon any of a variety of suitableadditional or alternative criteria and that multiple criteria can beused at the same time. It is also to be appreciated that by usingredundant digital and analog signals, the light fixture 116 can be lessprone to communication faults, and can thus be more stable thanconventional LED light fixtures.

FIG. 7 illustrates an alternative embodiment of a light fixture 214(e.g., a universal light fixture), that is similar to, or the same inmany respects as the primary and secondary light fixtures 14, 16,illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 above. For example, the light fixture 214can include a controller 228, an LED driver circuit 230 in communicationwith the controller 228, and LED lights 232 that are electricallycoupled with the LED driver circuit 230. The controller 228 can includea conversion module 224 that includes an analog to digital converter(ADC) 246 and a digital to analog converter (DAC) 248. The controller228 can also include an analog communication module 234 and a digitalcommunication module 236.

The controller 228 can include all of the features of the controllers18, 28, 128 described above and that can be selectively programmed(e.g., through remote programming) to allow the light fixture 214 to beused as either a converting light fixture (e.g., the primary lightfixture 14) or as a pass-through light fixture (e.g., the secondarylight fixture 16 or the light fixture 116).

The foregoing description of embodiments and examples has been presentedfor purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to beexhaustive or limiting to the forms described. Numerous modificationsare possible in light of the above teachings. Some of thosemodifications have been discussed and others will be understood by thoseskilled in the art. The embodiments were chosen and described forillustration of various embodiments. The scope is, of course, notlimited to the examples or embodiments set forth herein, but can beemployed in any number of applications and equivalent devices by thoseof ordinary skill in the art. Rather, it is hereby intended that thescope be defined by the claims appended hereto. Also, for any methodsclaimed and/or described, regardless of whether the method is describedin conjunction with a flow diagram, it should be understood that unlessotherwise specified or required by context, any explicit or implicitordering of steps performed in the execution of a method does not implythat those steps must be performed in the order presented and may beperformed in a different order or in parallel.

What is claimed is:
 1. A light fixture for an indoor grow facility, thelight fixture comprising: a plurality of LED lights; a controller insignal communication with the plurality of LED lights and configured tofacilitate control of the plurality of LED lights; a digitalcommunication module configured to receive a digital control signal froma remote source that facilitates digital control of the plurality of LEDlights; and an analog communication module configured to receive ananalog control signal from the remote source simultaneously with thedigital control signal that facilitates analog control of the pluralityof LED lights, wherein the controller is configured to select betweeneither the digital control signal or the analog control signal tocontrol the plurality of LED lights.
 2. The light fixture of claim 1wherein the controller is configured to: control the plurality of LEDlights based upon the digital control signal when the digital controlsignal is capable of controlling the plurality of LED lights; andcontrol the plurality of LED lights based upon the analog control signalwhen the digital control signal is incapable of controlling theplurality of LED lights.
 3. The light fixture of claim 1 wherein thecontroller is configured to: control the plurality of LED lights basedupon the digital control signal when the digital control signal ispresent at the digital communication module; and control the pluralityof LED lights based upon the analog control signal when the digitalcontrol signal is not present at the digital communication module. 4.The light fixture of claim 1 wherein the digital communication module isconfigured to transmit the digital control signal to a downstreamelectronic device.
 5. The light fixture of claim 1 wherein the analogcommunication module is configured to transmit the analog control signalto a downstream electronic device.
 6. The light fixture of claim 1wherein: the digital communication module is configured to transmit thedigital control signal to a downstream electronic device; and the analogcommunication module is configured to transmit the analog control signalto the downstream electronic device.
 7. The light fixture of claim 1wherein the controller is configured to control an intensity of theplurality of LED lights based upon the selected one of the analogcontrol signal or the digital control signal.
 8. The light fixture ofclaim 1 wherein the analog control signal comprises a 0-10 VDC signaland the digital control signal comprises an RS-485 signal.
 9. The lightfixture of claim 1 wherein the analog communication module is configuredto amplify the analog control signal.
 10. A lighting system for anindoor grow facility, the lighting system comprising: a main controllerthat is configured to generate a digital control signal and an analogcontrol signal; and a light fixture comprising: a plurality of LEDlights; a controller in signal communication with the main controllerand the plurality of LED lights and configured to facilitate control ofthe plurality of LED lights; a digital communication module in signalcommunication with the main controller for receiving the digital controlsignal to facilitate digital control of the plurality of LED lights; andan analog communication module in signal communication with the maincontroller for receiving the analog control signal simultaneously withthe digital control signal to facilitate analog control of the pluralityof LED lights, wherein the main controller is configured to selectbetween either the digital control signal or the analog control signalto control the plurality of LED lights.
 11. The light fixture of claim10 wherein the controller is configured to: control the plurality of LEDlights based upon the digital control signal when the digital controlsignal is capable of controlling the plurality of LED lights; andcontrol the plurality of LED lights based upon the analog control signalwhen the digital control signal is incapable of controlling theplurality of LED lights.
 12. The light fixture of claim 10 wherein thecontroller is configured to: control the plurality of LED lights basedupon the digital control signal when the digital control signal ispresent at the digital communication module; and control the pluralityof LED lights based upon the analog control signal when the digitalcontrol signal is not present at the digital communication module. 13.The light fixture of claim 10 wherein the digital communication moduleis configured to transmit the digital control signal to a downstreamelectronic device.
 14. The light fixture of claim 10 wherein the analogcommunication module is configured to transmit the analog control signalto a downstream electronic device.
 15. The light fixture of claim 10wherein: the digital communication module is configured to transmit thedigital control signal to a downstream electronic device; and the analogcommunication module is configured to transmit the analog control signalto the downstream electronic device.
 16. The light fixture of claim 10wherein: the analog control signal includes first instructions in ananalog format; the digital control signal includes second instructionsin a digital format; and the first instructions and the secondinstructions are configured to facilitate substantially the sameresponse from the plurality of LED lights.
 17. The light fixture ofclaim 16 wherein the first instructions and the second instructionsfacilitate control of an intensity of the plurality of LED lights. 18.The lighting system of claim 17 wherein the analog control signalcomprises a 0-10 VDC signal and the digital control signal comprises anRS-485 signal.
 19. The lighting system of claim 10 wherein the analogcommunication module is configured to amplify the analog control signal.20. A lighting system for an indoor grow facility, the lighting systemcomprising: a main controller that is configured to generate a firstcontrol signal and an second control signal; and a light fixturecomprising: a plurality of LED lights; a controller in signalcommunication with the main controller and the plurality of LED lightsand configured to facilitate control of the plurality of LED lights; afirst communication module in signal communication with the maincontroller for receiving the first control signal to facilitate controlof the plurality of LED lights; and a second communication module insignal communication with the main controller for receiving the secondcontrol signal simultaneously with the first control signal tofacilitate control of the plurality of LED lights, wherein the maincontroller is configured to select between either the first controlsignal or the second control signal to control the plurality of LEDlights.